Infection reducing Toilet seat cover

ABSTRACT

Embodiments disclose a utility model which is related to an advance and improved disposable/flushable toilet seat cover that provides a hygienic, secure fit. It provides a secure fit from the top and bottom of toilet rim so that the upper and lower surfaces of the seat cover are sealed, to prevent the absorption of contamination into the external environment. It is also proposed to have another version of the product without a hole. It is “completely covered” so it could be used to flush the toilet. The toilet seat cover is made of a bio degradable material and is disposable in nature.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this parent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to methods, apparatus and systems for toilet seat cover devices and more particularly to an improved toilet seat cover device and method of incorporating a protruded platform on the seat cover adapted to cover the toilet seat to aim accurately over the toilet rim and restrict plumes from contaminating the seat surface and outside environment.

Description of the Related Art

The modern-day toilet most commonly used in the western world consists of a bowl that can be cylindrical, oblong, or the like, that is elevated above a bathroom floor. The user sits in an upright position with their buttocks resting against an outer ring of the toilet bowl to defecate into the bowl. The modern-day toilet system is convenient, but not perfect.

There are multiple types of germs and viruses that are always growing in the bathroom. Bathrooms are the most common areas in the home for germs and the likes of Salmonella, Paratuberculosis and Staphylococcus Aureus are the kind of nasties which are often found in household bathrooms and the kind of germs which can cause serious illnesses. The bathroom faucet handle can have 21 times the bacteria of the toilet seat. Even worse the kitchen faucet handles can harbor 44 times the bacteria of the toilet seat.

Loads of researches have been carried out on the sanitary conditions in public bathrooms as well. People bring a lot of bacteria into bathrooms, the researchers found. Within an hour of normal use, there over 500,000 bacterial cells per square inch on the bathroom surfaces is observed, on average.

It is a general assumption that the toilet seat would be right at the top of the list for high levels of contamination, which showed more than 50,000 Colony Forming Units (CFUs). Every time you flush, these bacteria (which may be from a whole host of people) could be spraying into the air around the toilet and potentially making us super sick. In many cases germs are spread via touch so we can see that objects touched after people have used the toilet, but before they have washed their hands can be just as contaminated, “adds Dr. Hastings. So just the use of only toilet seat isn't enough to get the germ-free environment while using the restroom.

Flushing can fling anywhere between 40 to 60 per cent of aerosols high above the seat, reaching as high as 106.5 cm off the ground. Doctors have shown that coronavirus can live and replicate in the digestive system, and evidence of the virus has been found in human waste. It's considered a possible route of transmission. Now a team at Yangzhou University in China has used computer modeling to show how the water from a flushed toilet could spray up into the air—as high as three feet, they wrote in the journal Physics of Fluids. “One can foresee that the velocity will be even higher when a toilet is used frequently, such as in the case of a family toilet during a busy time or a public toilet serving a densely populated area,” Ji-Xiang Wang of Yangzhou University, who worked on the study, said in a statement. Other studies have strongly suggested that norovirus, a common cause of vomiting and diarrhea, can be spread via flushing toilets. In April, researchers suggested that toilets might provide a way for coronavirus to spread.

“Already, evidence of SARS-CoV-2 contamination of surface and air samples outside of isolation rooms, and experimental data showing that SARS-CoV-2 can live in aerosols for 3 hours, should raise concerns about this mode of transmission and prompt additional research,” Carmen McDermott of the University of Washington School of Medicine and colleagues wrote in April in the Journal of Hospital Infection. “Fecal shedding seems to occur in patients without gastrointestinal symptoms, which could enable asymptomatic individuals with no respiratory symptoms to be a source of fecal transmission,” they added. At least one researcher not involved in the study said it made some sense, even if it's theoretical. “The viral load in fecal matter and the fraction of resulting aerosol containing the virus is unknown. Even if the virus were contained in the produced aerosols, it is unknown whether the virus would still be infectious; there is not yet clear evidence for fecal-oral transmission,” Bryan Bzdek, an aerosol researcher at Britain's University of Bristol, said in a statement. “The study authors suggest that whenever possible we should keep the toilet seat down when we flush, clean the toilet seat and any other contact areas frequently, and wash our hands after using the toilet. While this study is unable to demonstrate that these measures will reduce transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, many other viruses are transmitted though the fecal-oral route, so these are good hygiene practices to have anyway.”

In short, everybody cringes at needing to sit on a public unsanitary, dirty toilet without some intervening protection between their skin and the toilet seat. There already exists the common disposable paper toilet seat cover available in many public and private locations and multiple inventions that have been proposed in prior art regarding training methodologies for young children and providing sanitary environment to people. Multiple types of cleaners, protective kits and detergents are available promising the cleaning of bathroom areas and reducing the growth of bacteria. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,594 issued to Peter Butterfield is the apparatus is adapted to fit on the lower surface of conventional toilet seats, and comprises (1) a base element, (2) a support element, including handle, rotatably secured to the base element, (3) an elongated fluid carrying arm extending from the support, and (4) a sprayhead. By rotating the handle, the sprayhead moves through a relatively shallow arc from a retracted position adjacent the lower surface of the seat at the rear thereof through an operative path beneath the opening in the seat. The axis of rotation of the support element and the configuration of the fluid-carrying arm are such that the focal point of the arc of the sprayhead is several inches above the plane of the seat.

Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,015 issued to Hinkel; Scott E. exhibit a voice-based apparatus have been brought in the market which instructs the user for safe and hygienic practices while using the restroom. A toilet instruction method and apparatus is described in which toilet use is monitored and one or more audible messages is produced which instruct users of the toilet regarding next steps in toilet use and hygiene. The apparatus includes a housing which is removably attachable to the toilet. A switch arm extends from the housing and is coupled with the toilet flush handle. An audio speaker is partly enclosed within the housing and produces the audible messages. Electronic circuitry enclosed within the housing receives a switch activity signal indicative of the position of the switch arm and responsively activates production of the audible messages. The electronic circuitry includes a message storage unit for storing a plurality of messages.

Some of the patents have been registered providing the accessories tool kit to hold different bathroom supplies. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,141 issued to Shafik; Aasef M. dispalys a toilet accessory kit includes a holder with receptacles at opposite ends receiving and holding a toilet brush and a toilet plunger, respectively. A divider extends across the holder to separate the receptacles from one another, and a handle extends from the divider for lifting and carrying the holder and also for storing extra rolls of toilet paper. The brush includes bristles and an elongate narrow pick, with the pick insertable into the jets beneath the rim of a toilet bowl to clean the jets. The plunger has a spherical member with a concavo-convex open end that fits various sizes of drain openings. A depending cylindrical skirt surrounds the concavo-convex open end and acts as a shield to prevent splashing and also forms a secondary seal.

A U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,841A issued to Faulkner David L is a bathroom sanitizer and deodorizer designed to be used with a conventional toilet bowl. A housing means is used and is so constructed as to have an air intake port at the top and an air exhaust port on the side. A toilet bowl rim clip is attached to the bottom of the air intake port, and an on and off pressure switch is attached to the top of the air intake port. A filtering device consisting of a disinfectant fluid container, a filter frame, and two filters, is placed within the housing means directly behind the air intake port. A filter rotation motor is mounted next to the filter device and is coupled by means of a belt to a pully that is attached to the filter frame. An exhaust fan is mounted within the housing means at the air exhaust port. A combination battery holder and leveler are attached to the bottom exterior of the housing means, and a filler tube is attached to the exterior of the housing means passing thru the lower end of the housing means and attached to the disinfectant fluid container. Air seals are used within the housing means to ensure maximum air flow and to direct the contaminated air directly into the filter device.

A U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,706A issued to MURDOCK LABS Inc is a sanitizer for bathroom articles such as toothbrushes includes a closeable housing having a rotatable rack therein for receiving the bathroom article, a sanitizing element such as a germicidal lamp within the housing to sanitize the bathroom article, and a drainage diaphragm located beneath the bathroom article to receive precipitated drainage fluid therefrom (under the force of gravity) and direct the same towards the peripheral portions of the housing due to the concave shape of the drainage diaphragm. Drainage holes located in the peripheral area of the housing pass drainage fluid from the housing directed thereto. Adjunct electrical devices, such as a radio, clock or a calculator may be contained within the housing.

A U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,864A issued to International Flavors and Fragrances Inc is a detachably affixable and refillable attachment comprising a perfume and/or deodorant bearing material which is a solid or which is in gel form and ambient conditions (and, optionally, an additional perfume and/or deodorant liquid proximate to or in contact with said solid) for a flush tank toilet is disclosed which produces a cleanser and/or sanitizer and/or deodorant and/or aromatizing solution with the water stored in the flush tank and which produces an emission into the atmosphere surrounding the flush tank of an aromatizing and/or deodorizing substance or merely produces an emission into the atmosphere surrounding the flush tank of an aromatizing and/or deodorizing substance, for discrete time periods during each flushing cycle without the use of complicated appurtenances, such as aerosol spray cans. The attachment is substantially contained within the flush tank of the toilet and is actuated in response to the level of the water in the tank. Also disclosed are processes for using such apparatus.

There are multiple inventions that have been proposed in prior art regarding bringing an advancement and enhanced utility enhanced cleanliness and safe usage of bathrooms. However, the utilization of these systems in daily life are quite cumbersome and non-effective. Moreover, the features of these utility system are quite limited.

Therefore a need exists for a novel assembly which improves the arrangements in similar field. The invention focuses on providing a utility item for all individuals to accurately configure the proposed assembly at the bathroom seat which prevents Toilet Plumes or Aerosols from escaping from toilet during flushing, backsplash and provides an additional sanitary protection when sitting on the toilet. It is also proposed to provide a version of the product without a hole. It is “completely covered” so it could be used to flush the toilet.

None of the previous inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Hence, the inventor of the present invention proposes to resolve and surmount existent technical difficulties to eliminate the aforementioned shortcomings of prior art.

SUMMARY

In light of the disadvantages of the prior art, the following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the present invention and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the invention can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved form of assembly which relates to an incorporate new strategy and uses with minor modifications to the existing simple toilet seat cover model.

It is also the objective of the invention to provide a toilet seat cover assembly which shields and protect people from direct contact with toilet plumes which originate within the bathroom environment once used or flushed. It further helps shield people from possible contagious diseases such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, E-Coli, Sigella bacteria and noroviruses that may be contagious from using or touching dirty, unsanitary toilet seats, toilet rims or urinals.

It is moreover the objective of the invention to provide an assembly which has is developed from bio-degradable material and can be stretched to fit exact size of the toilet seat cover like structure which prevents the fumes and spray releasing into external environment.

It is further the objective of the invention to provide a smart assembly which not only acts as an additional sanitary buffer protection but also prevents the flow of toilet Plumes or Aerosols from escaping from toilet during flushing. The plumes or aerosols or fine water vapor trapped inside the bowl will tense to condense into bigger droplets and drop back to the bowl.

It is furthermore the objective of the invention to provide ease to individuals where the assembly is DIY and can be easily configured to any toilet regardless of its size and shape. There's also a version of the product without a hole. It is “completely covered” so it could be used to flush the toilet.

It is still the objective of the invention to provide an assembly which is easy to use as user raises the toilet seat up and pulls one end with a tab or rope goes over the seat while the other end is pulled over the edge of the toilet.

It is also the objective of the invention to provide an assembly preferably made of disposable material.

It is further the objective of the invention to provide an assembly which provides ease in portability and operational use of product.

Other aspects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

This Summary is provided merely for purposes of summarizing some example embodiments, so as to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter described herein. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the above-described features are merely examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate embodiments of concepts that include the claimed invention and explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates the application of proposed assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates another view of the utilization of present invention, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates the top view of bathroom seat showing the proposed use, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates the front view of bathroom cover in closed form, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates another view of bathroom seat cover showing the assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates complete complete view of bathroom seat cover with the use of proposed assembly, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Reference will be made in detail to selected embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with accompanying figures. The embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, and the present disclosure should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described. This disclosure may be embodied in different forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying figure is intended and provided to illustrate embodiments of the disclosure described below and are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawing, like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and thicknesses and dimensions of some components may be exaggerated for providing better clarity and ease of understanding.

It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, and “like”, herein do not denote any order, ranking, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. Further, the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below. It aims to provides a toilet seat cover device that can be fixed to any toilet seat to control the plumes, splash of dirty water and dispersal of dangerous germs within the bathroom environment.

Sanitary practices are very important in preventing the contraction and spread of diseases. Public restrooms provide convenience in relief of discomfort or potential bodily emergencies. Attempts are made to keep restrooms clean or sanitized by performing routine cleaning with disinfectants. But the frequency in which toilets are cleaned may not be frequent enough to provide adequate sanitization for an arbitrary user. The article of invention aims at disease prevention and personal hygiene, specifically when using a toilet and especially in public restrooms that are used by many people and in which the rate, method, or thoroughness of cleaning is unknown and uncontrollable by the majority of people that use them.

The average person flushes the toilet five times a day and, apparently, most of us are doing it wrong. When you pull the lever, in addition to taking whatever business you've left behind down into the sewer pipes, your toilet also releases something called “toilet plume” into the air—which is basically a spray filled with microscopic bacteria, including E. coli. According to research from 1975, the germs emitted in the spray can linger in the air for up to six hours and disperse themselves all over your bathroom including on toothbrush, towels and beauty products.

The assembly as per its further embodiments preserves the basic paper, disposable, flushable, biodegradable toilet seat cover for its original purpose, and standardizes the point of insertion. The assembly is made of primarily similar paper or plastic sheet as the toilet seat cover, biodegradable, flushable, one-use disposable.

The assembly presents multiple designs where the first design has simple plastic sheet cover. The assembly has a Plunger with a rubber stopper through a whole that would keep things from getting messy. User can raise the toilet seat up and pulls one end with a tab or rope goes over the seat while the other end is pulled over the edge of the toilet.

The attached figures disclose multiple parts of assembly and they have been numbered accordingly for easy understanding. The FIG. 1-6 are showing all designs as per claimed, where a smaller and thinner seat cover molded in bio degradable materials, which can be flat shape or convex shape and can be including but not limited to transparent or opaque ABS or PC material with a clear part to cover the toilet seat rim.

Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made again without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

While a specific embodiment has been shown and described, many variations are possible. With time, additional features may be employed. The particular shape or configuration of the platform or the interior configuration may be changed to suit the system or equipment with which it is used.

Having described the invention in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from its spirit. Therefore, it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated and described. Rather, it is intended that the scope of this invention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter. 

I: A toilet seat assembly comprising of: a smaller and thinner seat cover molded in bio degradable materials, which can be oval or circular shape and can be including but not limited to transparent or opaque material; a clear part having opaque back cover to conceal an optional sterilizing device with timer switch; a Plunger with a rubber stopper; a seat covers tapered edge to mate with the inner rim of toilet seat and also protrude slightly beyond the bottom surface of the seat rim; and a cover which can be lifted manually or with pull tab; another version of the product without a hole which is “completely covered” so it could be used to flush the toilet. II: A toilet seat cover assembly where user raises the toilet seat up and pulls tab while the other end is pulled over the edge of toilet. 